During the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, a 14-year-old girl in East St. Louis, Illinois watched in awe when a sprinter named Evelyn Ashford came onto the screen.

Photo credit: Suzy Gorman

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Jackie Joyner-Kersee had never seen an Olympic track and field athlete who resembled her like Ashford did. “She had her hair in a cornrow braid and I wore in my hair in braids. She was also young and amazing and it was incredible to see someone who looked similar to me” says Joyner-Kersee. “I thought, I want to be the Olympics. I didn’t know if that was going to happen. But I dedicated myself to see if it could be possible.”

Joyner-Kersee didn’t have all the tools she needed, but she remained unstoppable. “We didn’t have a track or have the best equipment. We ran on dirt in the park. But when you’re young, you don’t know any better,” she explains. “We focused on what we had. It’s not until you get exposed to things that you realize you need every fancy shoe. Whatever shoe I put on was the best for me.”

Ashford, a plethora of mentors and Joyner-Kersee's unshakable determination gave her the drive and spirit that would ultimately help her win six Olympic Medals, be called one of the “50 Great Athletes of all time” by ESPN, hold the record as the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon and have the distinction of being the first African American woman to win an Olympic Medal in the long jump.

The strong sense of community support also inspired Joyner-Kersee to devote herself to giving back and helping others. She is a fierce advocate for children's education, racial equality, social reform and women's rights. In 1988, she founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation to inspire youth to thrive in academics and athletics and enhance communities, especially her native East St. Louis. She also works with young people and seniors, walking with them and taking them through fitness routines.

“People like my coach Nino Fennoy made a difference in my life and paved the way for me,” says Joyner-Kersee. "He has always been a father figure and is still a mentor to me. When they were going to do away with the girls’ program and the coaches decided to just coach boys, Coach Fennoy stepped up to say, 'no,' he would give girls a place to train."

Joyner-Kersee’s passion for helping children become academically successful led her to partner with Comcast. She saw that because they have no access to the internet at home, many talented kids fall behind in school. To that end she is helping raise awareness and help close the digital divide through Comcast’s Internet Essentials program.

The program is designed to help provide internet access to those who can’t afford it, and to date, has connected more than 4 million low-income American families to the internet at home. “When I was growing up in East St. Louis, the librarians were always there to help me," she shares. "Just like those librarians, I see the difference the internet makes in today’s world. A whole generation can be left behind if they do not have access. That is why the Internet Essentials program is so important.”

Joyner-Kersee revealed some of the best advice she has ever received over the years.

Set short term realistic goals. It can even be something you want to accomplish in the next day. I notice that young people do not celebrate small increments of success. So you want to jump 23 feet in a long jump but you only jump 20 feet right now. Why not go for 20 feet 5 inches? That’s how I based my career. If I was running, I aimed to see myself improve a tenth of a second or half of an inch if I was jumping.

Be consistent. Throughout my career, I didn’t have to win all the time. But I needed to be consistent. If I was consistent in my push, more than likely I would prevail and come out on top.

Believe what is possible is probable. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, You can turn a doubter into a believer as long as you believe. It doesn’t matter what the people around you are saying, as long as you believe, you will convince the people within your circle to also believe.

Never give up on yourself. Be true to who you are. Also, be aware of the people who come into your circle. Recognize who they are and what they’re there.

Be receptive and open to people being honest with you. It’s not just about people telling you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. One of the best pieces of advice was from one of my coaches when I went to UCLA and was involved in athletics. I came out of high school and was jumping 21 feet. But when I got to college, I couldn’t come close to that. The first thought I had was that I should leave school. But my coach reminded me of the importance of education. So be receptive and open to people being honest with you. Sticking it out allowed me to deal with the ups and downs that came into my life.